Editorial: Irish men have issues
Irish men are not good at staying healthy. That probably surprises very few of us indeed. We know men tend not to check out issues they have with medical professionals and try and suffer things in silence instead.
Unsurprisingly, this is not a good idea. A new report has found men in Ireland are dying too young of causes that are largely preventable. The Real Face of Men's Health report was launched on Tuesday by Movember. The report reveals that two in five of all male deaths were premature and that men are 40% more likely to die prematurely than women, across each of the five leading causes. That’s pretty shocking!
Men living in the most deprived areas in Ireland were 150% more likely to die before the age of 75 than those living in the least deprived areas. Health economic analysis also reveals the five leading causes of years of life lost among Irish men cost over €1 billion in 2023 alone, €716 million which was preventable. The report calls for cross-government support to speed up the roll out of the National Men’s Health Action Plan.
The report is a first of its kind to examine the reality of men’s health in Ireland. It details the barriers for men accessing healthcare, the wider impact of men’s ill health, beyond the individual as well as the economic costs to the country.
Among the key findings are that GPs found the two biggest barriers were a lack of time and men’s reluctance to discuss sensitive topics. When it came to men specifically addressing mental health concerns, GPs cited stigma, social norms around self-reliance, lack of support networks and fear of career impact as barriers to seeking support.
Mental health remains a critical concern. Men account for four in every five suicides (79%), and over nine in ten GPs (97%) encountered men presenting with suicide or suicidal ideation in the past year. On average, GPs reported seeing 15 male patients per year presenting with suicidal behaviour with most cases in the 18–34 year old and 35-54 age group.
Grammy winning Cork musician Cian Ducrot is a Movember ambassador. He said: “The report findings are hard hitting, showing the health challenges, both physical and mental that face men in Ireland today.
“It shines a light on the lived experiences of men and spotlights the biggest barriers to a man in Ireland taking action to address a health concern. It is a wake-up call to all involved in men’s health to tackle these issues.”
Some of the figures in the report are pretty shocking.
40% of all male deaths were premature and that men are 40% more likely to die prematurely than women. Unfortunately we are a bit immune to the reality of men’s health issues. That has to change.